Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce for Two

When Chris and I spent a year living in “the burbs” recently one of my favorite places to eat definitely wasn’t fancy, far from it in fact. I really liked to drive over to EO Noodle on Route 9 in Framingham and stuff my face with a huge plate of Beef and Broccoli. Tender beef, crisp broccoli, perfectly steamed rice — who needs decor when your belly is full and the end of meal fortune cookie tells you that “your biggest dream will come true” … in bed (of course).

So I decided to attempt to recreate one of my favorite guilty pleasure meals at home. Like most Cooks Illustrated recipes it was more of a marathon than a sprint. I banged around in the kitchen for quite a while before I finally served up two dishes of food and promptly collapsed on the couch. It tasted good, but not EO Noodle “good.” On the upside I did get to use the super cute Chopsticks for Kids that Chris bought me last Christmas.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce for Two (Reprinted with permission. Originally published in the April 12, 2007 edition of Cooks Illustrated)

Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to the online version of Cooks Illustrated. The complete recipe for Beef and Broccoli is available only to paid users of the site and includes step-by-step illustrations and countless additional helpful tips.

This looks yummy and your chopsticks are adorable! You probably need more than a few tablespoons of oil for EO-good beef and broccoli, but at least you don’t have to feel guilty about what you’re eating!

Donald – The soy marinade definitely tenderized the meat. I think it wasn’t “EO Noodle” good mostly due to the lack of oil (just like Robin mentioned above). All of those dishes we love so much in Chinese restaurants are cooked in oodles of oil.

Elle – You know what, using those kiddie chopsticks is harder than using the real thing 🙂

Chuck – So glad you liked the chopsticks too! CI definitely exhausts me, but I feel like I’m the “Super Woman” of the kitchen once I’m through.

Deborah – I think you should give it a try! It’s a great way to cut down on unwieldy magazine clutter too.

I ran across your recipe on Taste Spotting (http://www.tastespotting.com)
I made this recipe for my wife and I tonight and I have to say it’s better than any Chinese restaurant around here could’ve made. Thanks for the great recipe and I’ve already told others about your site and your recipe!